A Change of Sceneries: One-Shot Collection (New Awakening Universe)
by The-Girl-Who-Dreamed
Summary: Chara is Sirius Black's 8 year-old daughter, that was abandoned on his doorstep by her mother 3 months before the first one-shot. Sirius is a ladies-man now he has the responsibility to take care of the daughter he's never wanted or known about. This follows the development of their reluctant relationship. Mentions of Child/Drug Abuse! I suggest you read New Awakening first.
1. Chapter 1 - Questions

**THIS IS A STORY FROM THE NEW AWAKENING UNIVERSE. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET, I RECOMMEND YOU TO.**

**A Change of Sceneries**

**One-Shot Collection about Sirius and Chara (New Awakening Universe)**

**Chapter 1 – The Truth (Between Chapter 6 and 7 of New Awakening)**

Siriusfound an empty bench in a secluded area of the park and sat Chara down before kneeling in front of the crying, yet silent, child.

"Here, let me take a look. Raise your chin a little, sweetheart." He said and she did as asked, holding her breath.

Sirius removed the blood soaked handkerchief and muttered a cleaning spell to get rid of the blood and an antisepticizing spell before closing the wound. Sirius was no healer, but one of the parts of the Auror training included basic healing for an emergency in a battlefield.

"There. Good as new." He said taping the tip of her nose. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" She looked down and shook her head. "Are you sure? That was a pretty nasty fall." He said with a raised eyebrow.

"My hands. B-but j-just a _leettle_." She said quietly, her accent pronounced. Sirius gathered her hands in his; the left one was bleeding a little from a deeper graze. The animagus quickly repeated the previous sequence of spells and the small girl watched as her skin was healed. "Thank you."

Sirius squeezed her hand before getting up and sitting beside her. "You're welcome, pup. Now let me scourgify your dress." She stared at him in confusion. "Clean it with a spell."

She looked down at her dress and turned green. The collar or the previously light pink dress was red with blood. Chara swayed on the spot and her eyes unfocused.

"Whoa." Sirius caught her in time. "Chara? Puppy, what's wrong?" He said cupping her face with his hands and she flinched as if she'd been burned. The girl was pale and sweating.

Sirius was just getting more and more alarmed with each second. She was too quiet, easily startled, flinched when people touched her, ran away when he asked is she's been hurt in the past and now looked positively sick on the sight of blood. He quickly cast a cleaning spell on her dress and pulled her into his arms. Where were James and Remus? They were the tactful Marauders. Sirius had no idea how to raise a child, let alone a possibly traumatised one!

Chara struggled to get away from her father's arms but he was holding her too tightly. She then managed to mumble "sick" in time for him to release her. She vomited her whole lunch and retched until there was nothing left in her stomach.

Sirius held his daughter's hair, his alarm over her reaction suppressing the urge to be sick himself. Once he was sure she wouldn't vomit anymore he picked her up and settled the small girl on his hip, holding her with one arm and cleaning the sick with a wave of his wand. The Auror turned to his daughter who was resting her head on his shoulder, eyes closed but tears still falling from them.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Sirius asked worriedly sitting down with his daughter sideways on his lap. Chara started to cry harder. "Hey, now, what's wrong darling? Shhh, I'm here. Daddy's here." He mumbled nonsense until her sobs turned into sniffles. "Want to tell me what's wrong?" Chara shook her head and fiddled with her hands. "How about we play a game?" She perked up at the idea. "I ask you a question and you have to answer me truthfully in return you get to ask me a question, which I will answer truthfully as well."

"How do I know you won't lie?" She said with her (adorable in Sirius mind) accent and bit her lip.

"I promise not to lie. But you have to promise not to lie as well." Sirius said locking his eyes with hers and she nodded. "Do you want to go first?" He asked, determined for her to see that he meant what he said.

"D-Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked rolling her Rs.

"No, I don't." He answered truthfully. He didn't have a girlfriend in a long time, just affairs and one-night stands.

"Then why-"

"Ah ah, my turn. Why did you run when I asked you that question?"

"B-Because I didn't want to answer." She said simply leaving Sirius gobsmacked. She had fooled the brilliant troublemaker of Hogwarts, the prankster extraordinaire! A little 8 year old girl!

"Okay, new rule. You have to actually answer the question. No finding loopholes and not answering. And no short answers otherwise the one who's asking earns the right to ask another question." He said once he got over his shock. She truly is his daughter.

"Why do you sometimes leave me at Uncle Regulus' home for the night, then? If not for going out on dates?" She said sadly.

"Er- You see, darling. Daddy has done many things he's not proud of, especially in this last three months. I don't have a girlfriend, but I- Er, I was seeing a lady." She didn't have to know it was more than one. "I didn't want you to be left alone." He saw that his answer had hurt her and cursed his stupidity. "But it's over now, darling. You are more important than any other lady."

Her eyes shone but then she looked at him disbelievingly. "I will repeat my question and no running this time, okay? We have a deal." She tensed but nodded nevertheless. "Did anyone back in Russia ever hurt you or hit you in any way?"

Chara nodded. "Nah-ah. Short answer, I get another question." She looked as if she wanted to run away again and Sirius tightened his arm that was holding her in place. "Who was it?"

She looked down and fiddled with her hands before whispering brokenly and almost inaudibly. "M-My s-stepfather and my _mama_." Then she broke down. One could clearly see that she was trying not to cry; she had her hands clenched and eyes squeezed shut but the sobs wrecked her body.

Sirius looked at the broken girl in his arms and felt an urge to shelter her from the world and glue back together every broken piece of her. He did his best to put his anger to the back of his mind and focus on the girl in his arms; the girl who's been alone for too long and needed him.

He enveloped the black-haired girl in his arms and put his chin on top of her head. The animagus rocked his child back and forth and mumbled apologies with his eyes squeezed shut. They let their bodies lose in that comforting motion for a while. Back, forth, back, forth.

After Chara's shaking subdued, Sirius pulled away and cupped her face with his hands. "Please tell me, darling. What did they do to you?" She stayed quiet. "Please." Sirius said, his voice betraying his desperation.

"_M-Mama_ used to t-throw _theengs_ at me…" She shared hesitantly.

"What things, Chara? I want you- no, scratch that. I need you to tell me what they did. With details. It's very important." He said seriously and she looked at him, her grey orbs betraying her fear. "I won't hold anything against you nor it will change how I feel about you. I just need to know so I can help you. Do you understand?"

The little girl paused then nodded before looking down. "S-She threw _anytheeng_ she could find. B-Bottles, jars, books, lamps… Or she would use that _theeng_ that hold candles to hit me. And she s-sometimes when she was really mad used her cigarette to b-b-burn me. Or when she was really really mad, she would use her wand. Anton, my s-stepfather, used to b-beat me with a belt, or his cane – he has a limp, you know? Got injured in a fight. They would lock me away without food, and wouldn't let me go to school. They would shout a lot, especially when they ran out." Only when she finished speaking she noticed that her cheeks were wet but she was determined not to show weakness.

"Do you know what drugs did they use, darling?" Sirius asked with trepidation, tightening his arms around her in support. No 8 year old should go through this.

"They used loads of _theengs_ but their favourite's something called_ korabl', _Starship? It makes you see _theengs_ and then you get sick afterwards." She said with a faraway look. "But you always want more."

Sirius knew what that was: a mixture of LSD, PCP and many hallucinogenic magical herbs, highly toxic and addictive. It was quite popular between miscreants. Then he stopped when he realized the way she spoke, it was like she had tried it. Oh no!

"Chara, how do you know that? Did you- Did they make you try it?" Sirius asked his face showing his fear.

"T-They gave me once. It was the only time I felt h-happy, it made me s-see good stuff. But then it was over and I felt really sad so I-I s-stole some." She said ashamedly. "W-When they found out, they punished me real bad and made me do stuff for them so I could get more."

'_Oh, Merlin!' _Sirius thought horrified. _'They drugged a child. They drugged his daughter.'_

"What did they make you do?"

"They made me do extra chores and go p-places, like alleys and bridges."

"How old were you, darling?"

"I had just turned 7. But they stopped giving me once-" She stopped and a whimper came out her throat. Her eyes were glazed over.

"Once what? Tell me, princess. Please." Sirius said getting desperate but she wasn't with him anymore.

"_Here she is, Klaus. Do whatever you want to with this _shlyukha*_, just give me my stuff." Dina Averin said throwing her daughter unceremoniously on the dirty asphalt of the alley._

_They blond man handled the woman a small bag. She checked its' contents and seemed satisfied. Without so much as a second glance she left, leaving her 8 year old daughter with the strange adult in the dark place._

"_Come here, girl." Chara, who had her legs to her chest in the corner looked up and slowly shook her head. She was scared. The man in two strides was in front of her and pulled her up by the hair. He slapped her across the face. "You heard what your mama said. She was willingly to hand you over to me just for a couple of grams." He laughed and moved his hands to the hem of her shirt._

_Chara then panicked. The only thing she could remember was blasting the man away and running. Her innocence depended on it, after all. That happened exactly three months ago._

"Chara? Chara, please answer me!" She snapped back to reality to realize she was shaking. She tried to pull away from the arms around her but the one holding her had anticipated her move. "Chara, it's me. It's daddy. I won't hurt you, princess." She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. She was in England, in a park, with her father.

"S-Sorry." She mumbled trying to stop crying.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, darling. Want to talk about it?" He said kissing her head.

"N-No."

"Please, Chara. I need to know so I can make you feel better. I promise it won't change how I feel about you. Just tell me, please." He begged.

She seemed to ponder for a second before telling him her flashback's contents. He was speechless by the end of it.

'_I will kill that bitch! How dare she?' _Was all Sirius could think of.

"Are you sending me back?" Chara asked scared, her father seemed angry.

"What? No, no! Of course not, Chara. You will never go back there, do you hear me? I will never let you go or harm you." Sirius pushed her head to his chest and rocked both of them. The little girl was crying but it was of relief.

"Even if I'm bad?" She looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"Nothing you could ever do could make me send you back to a place like that. What they did was inhuman, baby. They were bad people and they couldn't have done those things to you. Had I known about you or what they did, I would have taken you away in a heartbeat. What they did was wrong. They are terrible people who don't deserve to live in this world. You are stuck with me." He took a deep breath. "I don't know a single thing about being a father but I'll do my best to make up for my mistakes and be a good parent to you, alright?"

She then hugged him. _She_ hugged him. It was just the first step, but what marathon started without one?

**A/N: It's finally here! I will post a series of cute moments as requested between Sirius and his daughter Chara from the New Awakening universe that I couldn't fit in the story. I hope you liked it and please follow, review and favourite. Also, if you haven't read **_**New Awakening**_**, I suggest you do so you can understand better what this is all about. Just click on my profile and you'll find the link.**

_**PS: Please say what you'd like the next one shot to be about. I'm accepting all kinds of requests! And please, review. They mean a lot.**_

**Also, if you want pictures on how Chara looks like just ask away.**

**Thank you again,**

**Maria**


	2. Chapter 2 (Part 1) - The Past

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters you recognise.**

**A Change of Sceneries**

**One-Shot Collection – New Awakening Universe**

**Chapter Two (Part 1) – The Past (After Chapter 12 of New Awakening)**

_"C-Can I seet on your lap?" The little girl asked hesitantly biting her lip._

_"You don't even have to ask." Sirius said a tear falling from his right eye._

So she did, warily, looking at her father's face for any sign of anger. Sirius smiled softly at her, as if to say "it's okay".

Sirius noticed how tense she was. Chara's back was straight and her legs were extended in front of her as if she was ready to flee at any moment. He slowly reached out and rubbed her arm soothingly, pulling her to his chest, so that her head was resting sideways on his shoulder. The man closed his eyes, soaking in the comfort that the little girl was giving him unbeknownst to herself.

He heard a sniff - that would have gone unnoticed if the auror didn't have dog's hearing senses - and opened his eyes in alarm.

The girl was biting her lip and had her small hand in a fist her uncared fingernails digging on her palm, as if it physically hurt crying that quietly.

"Chara, princess, what's wrong?" He said worried, taking her hand in his and placing it over his heart, holding it in place with his pianist's one.

Chara shook her head.

"Chara... _Cherry_. Please, tell me what's wrong. Let me in." He said releasing her hand and lifting her chin. He was met with shiny grey orbs so much like his own in colour and shape but different in every other aspect.

"N-nothing's wrong." She sniffled.

"Than why are you crying?" Sirius said frowning. "Was it something I said?"

She nodded and seeing her father's self-loathing expression amended. "Y-You said you l-love me."

"Yes, I did." The man said slowly. "Did that make you sad?" Sirius asked confused.

"Net! I-I meant no! It's j-just-" The girl blushed and looked down biting the tips of her fingers. "I never thought I vould hear theese words from anyone." Chara's face turned even redder and her body more tense.

"Hey" Sirius said lifting her chin. "Why not?" His voice was suddenly hoarse.

"B-because." She said simply.

"That's not an answer, princess. Answer me, please." The girl's father said softly locking gaze with her.

"B-Because look at me!" She exclaimed. "I'm stupid, good-for-nothing, ugly, dumb, a monster, an abomination. A leettle s-slut who never does as told." She said turning her face away from Sirius to hide the tears that were falling steadily. "I a-am a m-meestake and the world vould bee a better place if I didn't exeest."

"Merlin, Chara! Look at me." She didn't and bit her lip to swallow the sobs. "No, look at me." Sirius turned her chin firmly yet carefully. "Who told you those things?" She shook her head. "Please, Cherry, princess, tell me who told you that."

"Everyone! M-My mama, Anton, Nikolas, grandfather Gustav, the nay-bros (neighbours)..." She complicated herself on the last word.

"They lied to you, Chara. About everything." Sirius said trying to control his temper - he was a millisecond from apparating to Russia and cursing those people to oblivion after a long torture.

"You don't know me!" She croaked brokenly.

"I know you enough to see that you are none of those things. You are a beautiful, intelligent, sweet, kindhearted little girl and everyone who told you otherwise was lying to you." Sirius said meaning every words. "Why is it easier for you to believe that you are all those terrible things than to believe the good trues, puppy?" She looked down and bit her fingernails. "Your mother, stepfather and everyone who said those things are bas- terrible people who don't deserve to live."

"B-but I can't do anytheeng right! I'm just a vaste of space. Mama said she should've had an a-abortion when she had the chance. I am just a b-burden to everyone!" The girl said with unswayable certainty.

'Merlin!' Sirius thought. 'What kind of human being would say those things to a child?'

"Chara, please believe me, I have no reason to lie to you. What can I do to make you see it?" The grey-eyed man begged. "I'd do anything to prove you that you aren't any of those things they said."

Then Sirius had an insight and took a deep breath.

"I know exactly how hard it is to believe in something when you've been told over and over again otherwise." The man knew that telling her about his past - about their similarities - was the only way to make his daughter believe him.

"My father... Well, let's say he wasn't a good man. No, he didn't hit me. At least not like your mother or stepfather did. He only physically hurt me a few times and he used magic for that. His Mastery laid in words. He knew exactly what to say to hurt me, he knew my weaknesses and used them against me." Sirius gulped, there was no going back now. "He told me I was a terrible son, a dishonour to the Black name, that I was pathetic, a blood-traitor because of whom I was friends with. He would say that I should be like Regulus and that I was a bad influence on him. He turned my little brother against me and there was a point in my life that no one in my family would say a word to me, except for Dora and her mother, unless it was to hurt me. There was a summer, before my fourth year, when they intercepted my letters without my knowledge and said that my friends hated me because of who I was and that was the reason they wouldn't reply. That I didn't have it in me to make people care."

"W-What changed y-your mind?" The little girl asked hesitantly tuning her curious grey eyes to him.

"Your uncle James. One day in the summer of my 6th year, he appeared at my door because I wouldn't reply to his letters. He said he was worried about me. Than we heard the sound of footsteps coming and Prongs hid beneath his invisibility cloak-"

_"Who the hell were you talking to, boy? Have you finally become insane?" Orion Black said advancing at his son. A 16-year-old Sirius could smell the alcohol stench coming out of his father's whole body._

_"No one, father." Sirius mumbled._

_"What? Do you take me for stupid, young man? I've had enough of your insolence! You vile piece of shit. I should have drowned you when I sniffed the betrayal on you." The austere man punched his son in the face sending the boy tumbling into the corner._

_The man then whipped his wand. Sending a burning hex at his heir._

_James was frozen on the spot, staring horrified at the scene in front of him._

_The man cast hex after hex, even curses. Sirius didn't ask him to stop but tears streamed down his face. He kept mumbling to himself: 'a Black cannot cry.' over and over again._

_"I taught you better, boy! So weak. Look at you. Where did your rebellion lead you to? Where is your bravery now, Sirius? Cruc-"_

_James snapped out of his trance and blasted the man away, thankful once more that you couldn't detect underage magic in a pureblood household. The man hit his head on the wall and blacked out._

_James knelt down next to his bleeding friend. "Padfoot, oh God! Sirius, don't worry. I'm here."_

_"J-Jamie?"_

_"Shhhh it's alright."_

_Then Regulus Black entered the room looking at the scene horrified._

_"Black, Regulus, please. Your brother-"_

_"He can't stay here. Father will kill him." Regulus said kneeling on his brother's other side._

_"He can stay with me. Just help me take him home. I have a portkey, but I need his stuff." James begged. "Sirius, stay with me!"_

_"I will find a way to send you his things, now go! Quick!"_

_"Yeah. Alright." James said holding Sirius securely by his torso while grabbing the necklace._

_"Bye, Siri." Regulus said running his hands through his brother's hair as if he was a little child._

_"Mischief" James said and they were transported to the Potter Manor._

"Then I moved in with the Potters. James wouldn't leave me alone. I was mad at him for telling me what I thought were lies. I didn't see it for what it was. But then, with time, I found myself realising that if I was as despicable as my father told me, why did the Potters care about me? Why should I believe the one who always hurt me over those who showed love and rescued me?" Sirius said finishing his tale with a faraway look.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, grandfather was b-bad." The girl said with silent tears and surprised both of them by burying her head on her father's chest.

"Shhh. It's okay. That was a long time ago. Now don't cry because of me, sweetheart." Sirius said wiping her tears and kissing her forehead. "What I wanted to say with my little tale was: are you going to believe those who hurt you over those who care?"

She looked down and muffled a sob. Sirius knew he had gotten to her. "Please give me at least a chance to show you the truth." Sirius whispered in her ear hugging her close and rocking her in a soothing motion, like he'd seen James do to Theo many times when he was little. Sirius felt her nod on his chest and it was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head over and over again, mumbling reassurances until her sobs turned into sniffles. He felt like her crying was overdue. With all the pain she's been through, one day she was bound to break irreversibly if she didn't let it out.

"I'm s-sorry, sir." She said rubbing her puffy eyes. Her face was flushed but Sirius thought none of it.

"What on earth are you apologising for, princess?" Sirius asked pulling away slightly so he could take a look at her face.

"F-For crying. I'm not 'llowed." She mumbled and yawned looking away from her father's eyes. 'A Black cannot cry.' "A-Are you going to p-punish me?"

"Oh, Merlin. No, Chara. I won't lay a finger on you. Ever. No matter what you do." He took a deep breath to organise his words. "Chara, as much as it breaks my heart to see you crying I don't want you to hide your feelings from me. You are human, and feeling is a part of it. Got it?"

The girl was too tired to protest so she nodded with a yawn.

"Close your eyes, princess. You are safe." Sirius said rearranging her in a way so that he was supporting most of her body and kissing her head once more.

The broken little girl did so and felt herself being snuggled into a warm chest.

"Princess?" Sirius called after a heartbeat and she opened her eyes with strain. "Please don't call me sir." He said and felt she nod halfheartedly.

The father held his daughter for a while running his fingers through her hair and cheeks. She looked peaceful and relaxed in his arms, and so young.

His thoughts ran wildly a million miles per hour.

How could someone say those bizarre things to someone so innocent? How could someone harm this dollish little girl? Or any little girl for the matter. He could see now what Remus said. She desperately wanted someone to care, to be there for her. Just as he did in the past. She needed someone to love her like she deserves to be loved. She was made of porcelain and her frame was cracked.

The way she looked at him when he said those three words, like he'd grown another head, held a suspicion that went beyond her years. No 8-year-old should know that look. She should've felt love since the day she was born and Sirius was determined to make sure she knew her worth from now on. He would put his daughter before everything and raise her to the best of his abilities, even if it meant changing the way he led his life. He would give her his unconditional love and be worthy of hers.

The 32-year-old man secured the little girl in his arms and stood up, carefully balancing her on his hip with a grace that lacked on his cousin. She held his neck in a death grip and he felt her rest her head in its' crook, inhaling his scent with a small groan. Her breathing was in tune with his.

The animagus walker slowly towards the stairs, trying not to disturb the girl cocooned in his arms.

"Hey, Padfoot." James said quietly when his brother in all but blood entered the drawing room carrying the little girl. Lily who was leaning on her husband's side and the boys - who were sharing the same book - looked up at him. The Lupin family had gone home an hour ago for Luke's bedtime, asking the Potters to floo in case anything went wrong.

The auror saw Harry look between his father and the sleeping girl worried.

"She's okay. She's just asleep." Sirius said answering their unspoken question, especially the little boy's who seemed to think his new friend was hurt. He walked towards the green-eyed boy - who stood up tense once his godfather approached - and squat down (as much as he could without bothering the child in his arms) in front of him. "Thank you for taking care of her, Harry. I couldn't wish for a better friend for my little girl." The man said to the little boy with affection on his voice and face.

Harry looked at him wide-eyed. "I mean it, pup. And I promise you I'll take care of her, Marauders' Honour."

"I told you she'd be alright, Hare." Theo said nonchalantly putting an arm around the small boy's shoulder. The little boy flinched and nodded with a yawn of his own and gave Sirius an hesitant smile.

Sirius ruffled Theo's hair affectionately and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, the boy jumped at the touch.

"It was great meeting you, pup. We should go to Gambol and Japes sometime, just the Marauders and their descendants. Sorry Lilyflower." Lily just chuckled shaking her head. Sirius gave the woman kiss on the cheek and an one-armed hug being rewarded with a small groan as the girl buried her head deeper so into his neck. "Dinner was wonderful, Lily, as always. Thanks." He whispered and she blushed.

"Take care of Chara, alright? She's a sweetheart." The woman said but it wasn't a request, Sirius could hear the 'or else' implicit on her tone or maybe he was just paranoid and guilt ridden.

James led Sirius to the fireplace in a significant distance from his wife and children. There was no need for that though, as Lily rushed them out of the room to give the two friends some privacy.

"Padfoot, I'm sorry."

"Prongs, I'm sorry." They said in unison and laughed quietly not to disturb the little girl.

"I shouldn't have said those things to you, Sirius. It was way out of line. That was just the only way I could think of to make you snap out of that behaviour." James said scratching the back of his neck.

"No. You were right. I was being a coward and letting my fear control my actions. I shouldn't have punched you. In fact, if that's what it would have taken to make me see I was being an arse you should have beaten me to a bloody pulp, Jamie." The spectacled man laughed out loud and Sirius quickly covered the man's mouth.

"_Chto_?" The little girl said opening her eyes startled and struggling.

"Shhh. Don't worry, princess. We are flooing home, alright? Go back to sleep." Sirius said rubbing her back and throwing James a venomous look.

"U-Uncle S-Sirius, sir?" They heard a voice coming from the door and turned to see Harry twisting the hem of his tshirt sleepily.

"Come here, buddy." James said opening his arms and picking the boy up once he was within reach.

"C-Could y-you tell her I said bye?" The boy said relaxing once he was settled in his father's arms with the said man rubbing his back.

"Of course I can, pup." Sirius said reaching out slowly to rest a hand on Harry's head. Maybe it was because the boy was too out of it or maybe it was because he felt safe in James' arms that he didn't flinch; just closed his eyes and took a thumb to his mouth.

Sirius shared a look with James and threw the powder on the fire shouting his destination before holding Chara tightly and stepping in.

Chara coughed as she struggled to get away from the arms surrounding her small frame.

"Shhh, Cherry. It's okay. You are home." Sirius said rocking her.

"Dun' have home." The girl mumbled relaxing at the soothing motion and falling back asleep not knowing the impact her words would have on the man holding her.

If Sirius heart was already broken, with that comment it was tritured to dust. How could she have been living there for three months and not consider it a home? Not that Sirius gave her reasons to, though. In fact, than man wondered if she knew what having a real home, a safe place, felt like.

Sirius' flat in London consisted of a guest bedroom, a master suite, a bathroom, a kitchen with an eating balcony and a living room.

The living room was quite tidy in comparison to what it used to be. And though he'd never seen her in action, Sirius suspected it was due to one of his daughters "chores" in Russia that were ingrained on her conscience. Still, the sofa cushions didn't match, the cup of tea he was drinking just before leaving was still in place and the lamp was on.

He move with ease around the room passing the archway to the kitchen and entering the corridor, choosing the first door on the left.

The room was plain. Beige walls, off-white carpet, a window on the largest wall, a single bed on the corner with ugly flowery linens, next to it a bedside table with a table lamp without its' shade and a plain wardrobe. Everything was exactly the same as it was before Chara's arrival - with the exception of the small trunk by the end of the bed.

A trunk? Hadn't she unpacked her belongings? He decided to address that issue later and focus on putting the clearly exhausted girl to bed.

The auror pulled away the covers and bent down setting his child on the mattress, untangling his shirt from her fist. With a quick wave of his wand he transfigured her mid-calf, elbow sleeved pink dress - the same she was wearing on the day he took her out for lunch - into long-sleeved light pink pyjamas. Sirius tucked the linens around her securely and brushed the hair out of her face bending down to kiss her forehead. He was completely aware of the strange feeling that irradiated his body. Was this what he would feel every time he took a look at his sleeping daughter?

She looked so much younger when she was asleep. Her face was relaxed as she turned on her side and put her hands under the side of her head. Sirius combed her hair away from her face with his fingers once more and saw something.

A faint ugly scar on the edge of her hairline that seemed to have healed on its own for its differences in depth. Sirius traced the scar with his fingers and shuddered.

With another kiss on her forehead her left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar and taking away its' key.

He automatically went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey from the higher cabinet, taking it to the drawing room along with a proper cup and plopping down in the armchair, putting his feet on the coffee table.

How the hell didn't he notice that she wasn't comfortable? Wait. He did notice, the real question is: why did he chose not to care about it and ignore the obvious? What had changed? Maybe the changing factor was the expression on her face just before she fled from him. The utmost horror and resignation to pain.

How didn't he notice that his place was suddenly tidier and that the dishes weren't accumulating on the sink? And why didn't the auror notice the presence of her slightly open trunk? Now that he thought about it, you could count in one hand the few times he'd been in that room after the little girl started to occupy it.

Sirius sighed and took a large gulp of his drink. He was a complete failure as a father. He only saw what he wanted to see and that's what made him drown in guilt. It was obvious the little girl was anything but fine.

Between sips he thought of what he learned about Chara. He was ashamed to say that he didn't even know her birthday until she said it. And her documents? Birth certificate, guardianship paper and recognition of birth by the British Ministry, as well as his heir; this thought hadn't crossed his mind until now. For all that was worth, Chara Irina Black didn't even exist in the UK.

He groaned taking a final sip. So much paperwork would have to be done. He thought before closing his eyes and falling into a light sleep.

_A 8-year-old Chara was searching for _'it'_ in her mother and stepfather's bedroom. The drawers to be precise. She was looking through her mother's underwear when she came across a small transparent bag with a slightly glittery powder. 'That's it!' She thought as she stared transfixed at the powder and got it on her trembling hands._

_The door of the room burst open._

_"_CHTO VY DUMAYETE, CHTO VY DELAYETE VAM MALEN'KAYA SUCHKA?"_ ("What do you think you're doing you little bitch?") Dina Goncharov (neé Averin) yelled at the little girl._

_Dina was tall blonde woman, with hard blue eyes and too slim figure covered in purple marks due to injections. She didn't care about her looks at all. Her hair was oily and in a messy bun, she had bags under her eyes that were red around the iris due to drug abuse. Her body was heaving and she smelled distinctly of cigarettes and sweat._

_"_Nichego mat'! Prosto ubirali!_" ("Nothing mother! Just cleaning!") Chara said backing away from the drawer, letting the small bag fall back in between the clothes._

_"ARE YOU STEALING FROM ME?" The woman said switching to English._

_"N-NO! I swear! I vas just lookeeng!"_

_"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" The stepfather yelled in his booming voice. He had greying hair and hard brown eyes, an alcoholic belly bulge and wore mismatched clothes. He too had the eyes red around the iris and body covered in tattoos._

_"I found this_ suchka_ with her filthy hands on my candy!"_

_"I-swear! I vas just folding-" Chara said tearing up but before she could finish the man slapped her across the face._

_"EES EET NOT ENOUGH THAT YOU STEEL OUR FOOD, CLOTHES AND MONEY?" Kick. Punch. "I vill teech you not to touch anytheeng that's not yours!" He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her towards the kitchen, turning on the stove. Once the fire was burning the strong man grabbed her wrists and - no matter how much she begged or trashed - held it on the fire. The flames burning and disgracing her skin and the little girl's screams echoing the room._

Sirius jolted awake, almost falling from the chair he fell asleep in. He tried to remember what disturbed him from his slumber when he heard it again. A scream that turned his blood into liquid nitrogen.

It wasn't a common scream, like when someone gives you a scare or you drop something. No. This scream was of someone who was being tortured in a sadistic manner, or someone who was slowly dying. The worst of it was that it was coming from his daughter's bedroom.

Sirius used his fitness in his favour and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the room. He threw open the door, lit up the room and took a look around it. There was no one except the crying girl. Crying, of course, was an understatement. The black haired girl was thrashing violently, her body lurching; the sheets were tangled on her legs and torso; her face was red and her hair wet with sweat. The terrifying, blood-curdling scream was coming from her mouth.

Sirius was frozen for a second, taking in the scene, but then the girl screamed again and he was by her side in a flash.

"Chara. Chara, princess, wake up it's just a dream." He said gently reaching for her shoulder and shaking her slightly. She shrank from the touch but didn't wake up. "Chara! It's just a nightmare sweetie. Chara!" Only when he shouted her name her eyes snapped open. Sirius managed to grab her in time to keep her from falling from the bed. She vomited all over him but he cleaned it with a wave of his wand.

"_Mne zhal'_! I-I-I'm sorry! P-Please! M-My hands! Please!" She sobbed trying to get out of her father's arms.

"It's okay. It was a nightmare, princess. You're okay, daddy's here." He said whispering on her ear and rocking her slowly.

"M-My hands!" She kept saying again and again.

"What about your hands, darling?" Sirius thought better to play with it, see what she'd divulge before she blocked him out. He rubbed her back and kissed the side of her head, sitting against the headboard with the small girl in his arms.

"T-They burn!" She said before she threw herself into her father's arms.

"Oh, princess. It was just a bad dream. I'm here." Sirius said hugging her close.

"It wasn't a dream. I remember!" She said pulling away. "Look at my hands! Look at them!" She wailed showing her hands to her father.

Sirius looked at her hands horrified. Chara's hands had patches of different colours and textures. In some places it was dark brown, in others it was waxy white. The man grabbed her hands in his and ran a finger through her palm. The skin was leathery and in some places raised. It took no genius to figure out that that was caused by a severe burn.

How did she manage to hide this? With magic, some sort of glamour. But how could she stand the pain of it?

Sirius then noticed that he was rubbing the girl's palm with his own, as if it would suddenly make it better and immediately release her hand from his grip. Though that was no change in her behaviour. She had hidden her face on his shirt once he started to analyse the damaged limb and was still there, crying her heart out.

"Chara. Chara, this is serious. I need you to talk to me" He said removing her from his lap and sitting the crying girl in front of him. She shook her head. "You don't have to say anything, just nod or shake your head alright?"

The girl pulled her knees to her chest and hid part of her face, nodding.

"Did this happen in Russia?" Nod.

"Was it your mother or stepfather?" He asked even though he knew the answer. Another nod.

"Was this caused by fire?" He asked urgently. She nodded and her body shook even more.

"Did you go to a hospital to treat this?" She shook her hand. He was about to apparate to Russia and blow the whole house down to pieces with the members inside it. How could they leave something this serious go untreated.

"When did this happen, Chara? I need you to tell me. Please." Sirius asked urgently.

"T-Two w-weeks b-before coming. W-when mama t-told me to pack and I tried to get some of _it_ to bring with me." Why did she want to bring the drug with her? He found himself asking that out loud.

"I-I thought I c-could sell it o-once you sent me away. S-so I didn't have to go back." She sobbed biting her lip so hard it drew blood.

What. Had. This. People. Ingrained. In. The. Little Girl's. Head?

What kind of twisted people were they? Sirius knew that at this moment he wanted to commit murder.

"Listen to me, carefully. It pains me that you believed that I wouldn't want you and - God! - how I made it easier for you to believe that with the way I treated you." Sirius took a great care choosing his words. "It doesn't mind what you thought in the past anymore, just know that I would never send you away. This, Chara Black-"

"A-Averin. I don't legally have Black in m-my name." She mumbled quietly. Another problem to tackle later.

"Well, you are my daughter. You are Chara Irina Black and I say this _proudly_." He ran a hand through her hair and without meaning to touched her forehead. She was a little warm but he thought nothing of it. The man shook his head of stray thoughts. Sirius knew she was trying to change the subject, even if she didn't notice it herself. "As I was saying. This is serious damage. How the he- how did you manage to hide this?" He said running his hand through his face.

"I-I just weeshed and weeled to myself that n-noone could see eet." She shrugged as if it was an ordinary thing to do.

"So that's what you did? With all your injuries?" Sirius asked his voice high pitched. She girl nodded and shrank away from him in fear.

"Merlin, Chara!" Sirius said horrified. "Come here." He said his voice softening. "I'm not mad at you, princess." He opened his arms and the little girl crawled hesitantly to him. Sirius sat her sideways on his lap. And ran his fingers through her hair, when he touched her forehead he jolted.

"Chara, you feel a little warm." '_Or_ _Warmer'._ He completed inside his head. He said trying not to panic. "Did you take any medicine? At all?" She shook her head looking down. "Are you in p-pain?" Sirius asked, his voice breaking.

She shook her head and mumbled something.

"What did you say?"

"I-I don't feel my hands. I can move them but can't _feel_ them." She said louder. Sirius sucked in a breath wishing above all thing that this was one of his nightmares, and that his daughter was sleeping unscathed on her bed.

"That's it." He said setting her on the floor and moving towards her trunk, grabbing the first thing he found and throwing it on the bed. "Put this on, Chara." He said in a no nonsense tone and turned back to her trunk, to give the girl some privacy and also try to find what he was looking for. Not giving a damn if he was being intrusive. There were more pressing things to worry about. "Has your mother left you with any document? Like birth certificate or something?" He asked as he head her she change her clothes, his eyes nit leaving the trunk.

"In the small brown box." She said frightened and Sirius realised that his voice was harsh. He found the box easily and felt the girl stand beside him. Sirius found the box easily and opened it without a second thought.

On the top of the papers was a kid's drawing of a little girl next to a blonde woman that held a bottle and a man with an interrogation on his face. What made it most heartbreaking were the tears falling from the little girl's face. Chara, her mother and the faceless man was him.

He didn't even realise that tears were falling from his face until the little girl reached out to wipe them.

He turned to look at the little girl who was also crying. "I'm sorry." He said pulling her to a hug. She shivered and he pulled away, seeing that her eyes were slightly clouded. He raised a hand to her forehead. She was burning up! Shit. Shit. Shit!

"I d-don't feel ve-" The girl vomited all over herself once more but managed to pull away from her father before. Sirius waved his wand and cleaned her clothes. He got the birth certificate and a jacket from her trunk - noticing that it had holes and thought it would be better to give her his which was on the sofa, so he just threw it on the bed.

The girl was crying and apologising profusely.

"Shhhh it's okay. Don't worry about it, Cherry." He said getting up from his kneeling position and scooping her up.

"W-Where are you taking me?" She asked when he grabbed his jacket and grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"I'm going to make it better. I'm taking you to the hospital."

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